Plot to oust Mnangagwa through food riots unearthed

A faction of ZANU PF is plotting to fuel food riots in the country in a bid to cause a State of Emergency and subsequent the impeachment of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a ZANU PF Senior official has alleged.

The Manicaland based Central Committee member who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity said, “There has a lot of machinations happening in the party in a bid to see Number 1 being removed by some powerful party members.

“I can authoritatively reveal to you that one of the strategies being plotted of late is to use a civil uprising through fuelling impending riots over the shortage of maize meal.”

The source claimed that the party members were in a spirited effort to frustrate everyone bringing maize and wheat into Zimbabwe and force people into food riots.

“If you have been following the trends you would see that the Grain Millers Association has been making efforts to assist the government in bringing maize into the country. In the recent past, you saw how the Ministry of Finance and of late ZANU PF Youths have been burning the midnight oil to destabilize and efforts by GMAZ to see that maize is availed to the market.

“The labeling of the GMAZ and its leadership under Tafadzwa Musarara as corrupt must be read in the context of the ongoing efforts to find a way to remove Number 1. As I am talking to you now, the government is planning to introduce roller meal coupons. You are going to see people queuing every day at shopping centers waiting for the roller meal to be availed.

It is during that time that some youths and war veterans will take advantage of the queues to the chaos which will generate into riots and the subsequent looting of shops and deployment of state security.

The faction then plans to cause the President to declare a State of emergency and then subject him to parliament calling for impeachment.
“If the security does not move swiftly to make sure that the food procurement chain and retailing is not disturbed, the country is moving towards an organic mass implosion that will undo the efforts of the New Dispensation.” The source said.

In 2003 war veterans were fingered as the force behind Zimbabwe’s first food riots that shook the country at the time.

In Bulawayo the riots began when Jabulani Sibanda, the then provincial chairman Bulawayo whipped up his supporters to march on the Grain Marketing Board to complain at the way grain was being allocated only to chosen millers.

Reports alleged that Sibanda had been angered that he was left out of the highly profitable food distribution loop by former President Robert Mugabe. Riot police used tear gas to disperse a crowd estimated to be 4 000 people.

“What happened was a simple, spontaneous protest by the residents,” Mr Sibanda was quoted as saying by the media.